After the fake heiress was arranged to marry a powerful future minister, she took him away.

After Jiang Huaiyu and Bai Yujing left the room, Hao Shi and Jiang Wenyuan remained sitting quietly, both of them displaying endless melancholy.

After a long while, Madam Hao sighed, "Alas, if only that misunderstanding hadn't happened back then."

In that case, her daughter would always be her daughter. She wouldn't have poured her heart and soul into raising her daughter to adulthood only to find that all her emotions were in vain, feeling sorry for her own flesh and blood and also growing tired of the daughter she once cherished.

Jiang Wenyuan gently shook his head. "There's no need to mention it again. It's all fate's arrangement."

After all, Jiang Huaiyu hadn't done anything wrong; on the contrary, she had been atoning for her complicated past. Now that the debts are cleared, let her be free to choose her own life.

……

After everything was settled, Jiang Huaiyu and Bai Yujing, along with Feiyue, stepped out of the Jiang family's gate.

The carriage swayed and rattled as it arrived at Elm Coin Lane. A knock sounded at the door, and Deng Shen immediately came to open it. Seeing the scene outside, his eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly, "Young Master, Madam, are you moving in?"

Jiang Huaiyu smiled slightly, "What, you're not willing?"

"Not at all, not at all. It is my great honor to have the favor of the lady and to serve here. I am eager to demonstrate my loyalty and talent!"

With his keen eyesight, he immediately joined Feiyue in moving the furniture.

Just as Bai Yujing was about to offer his help, Jiang Huaiyu stopped him with a firm gesture. "Young master, madam, we are taking good care of this place. The snow is falling heavily outside, but the charcoal fire is burning brightly inside. Please come inside quickly. If anyone gets cold, it would be our dereliction of duty."

Jiang Huaiyu and Bai Yujing walked into the house side by side. Jiang Huaiyu asked with a smile, "Do you think this response was clever enough?"

Bai Yujing smiled gently and replied, "Young Master's discernment is truly exceptional."

After a busy day, they finally settled everything in Yuqian Lane. As night fell, the two went to bed early.

The night was deep, and snowflakes fell all night. When dawn broke, the sun shone brightly on the earth, and everything was clear.

Beside the courtyard wall, the lush green bamboo grove was bent low by the heavy layer of snow. When the morning sun shone on the snow, it shimmered with a golden light.

After breakfast, Jiang Huaiyu and Bai Yujing strolled hand in hand under the bamboo forest. Jiang Huaiyu looked up at the snow-covered bamboo leaves and suddenly felt a mischievous urge. She called out sweetly, "Yujing!" Bai Yujing turned around in confusion.

However, she suddenly let go of his hand, pulled sharply on the bamboo branch above her head, and then fled like a light deer, leaving Bai Yujing alone covered in snowflakes. The snowflakes that got into his collar made him shiver, and the icy touch almost made him jump up. He frantically brushed the snowflakes off his collar.

Bai Yujing was always calm and composed, with the demeanor of a scholar. He had never been so comical before, like a mischievous monkey scratching its ears and cheeks.

Jiang Huaiyu looked at his amusing appearance and couldn't help but laugh out loud, the laughter echoing in the courtyard.

"Fool, why didn't you hide?"

Bai Yujing shook off the snowflakes, walked up to her, and gently pinched her cheek, saying with a hint of helplessness, "How could I have imagined that my gentle and virtuous wife would also be such a mischievous little devil?"

"Are you angry?"

Bai Yujing shook her head with a smile, "That's not true."

"really?"

"It's true."

Suddenly, Jiang Huaiyu waved his hand, and another delicate snowball shattered near Bai Yujing's temple.

"Since you're not angry, then I won't hold back!"

Bai Yujing was taken aback by the attack. He had never imagined that his wife would tease him like this repeatedly.

However, looking at Jiang Huaiyu's smiling face, bright as spring, he felt extremely surprised and couldn't help but stare at her blankly for a long time.

"Fool, what are you standing there for?"

Another snowball flew in.

Bai Yujing was teased three times in a row. He smiled but pretended to be annoyed and said, "This is the third time. I'm going to fight back."

He skillfully sculpted a snowball, and out of concern for Jiang Huaiyu, he did not make it firm, but kept it light and fluffy, and tossed it lightly into the air.

His throwing skills were superb, and he was accurate every time.

Because the snowball wasn't compacted, it scattered the moment it hit its target. Tiny snowflakes, like sprites, slipped into Jiang Huaiyu's collar, making her feel itchy and annoyed. She tried to brush off the snowflakes, but couldn't get rid of them no matter what she did. So she turned to Deng Shen and Fei Yue, who were watching from the sidelines, for help, "Can either of you help me?"

In the prime of youth, who doesn't love to play and have fun?

Feiyue ran over with a grin, "I've come to lend you a hand, Madam!"

Deng Shen couldn't contain his excitement either and hurriedly said, "How can that be? You're ganging up on us! Young Master has suffered a loss, I have to step in to help!"

In the blink of an eye, the four of them split into two camps.

Bai Yujing and Deng Shen, mindful that their opponents were both women, moved gently, throwing snowballs while skillfully dodging them.

Jiang Huaiyu and Feiyue had a tacit division of labor: Jiang Huaiyu was responsible for making snowballs, while Feiyue was responsible for throwing them at each other.

The four of them thoroughly enjoyed the game.

Suddenly, while throwing a snowball, Fei Yue accidentally hit Bai Yujing right in the eye. He couldn't help but cry out in pain and covered his eye with his hand.

Startled, Fei Yue quickly apologized, "Young Master, I didn't mean to do that!"

Jiang Huaiyu also rushed forward to check and saw that Bai Yujing's eyes were fine, only that her eye sockets were slightly red.

Filled with remorse, Fei Yue said, "It's all my fault for being too heavy-handed..."

Jiang Huaiyu gently patted her shoulder, "It's not your fault. I invited you to play in the snow. If he wants to blame you, I'll take the blame."

Bai Yujing asked, "So, my wife is going to take responsibility for me?"

Jiang Huaiyu nodded in agreement, "Okay, tell me, how would you like to be satisfied with compensation?"

Bai Yujing laughed, "Then I'll punish you by making you play a tune on your flute for me."

Jiang Huaiyu bowed gracefully, "I am willing to serve you, young master."

She turned to Deng Shen and instructed him, "Deng Shen, prepare a tea table and brew tea for our guests."

Upon hearing this, Deng Shen immediately got busy, and Fei Yue also hurriedly went into the house to fetch two hand warmers.

Jiang Huaiyu warmed his hands, then took out his short flute and began to play it slowly, facing the lush green bamboo forest.

As the sun rose higher, its warm rays spilled into the courtyard, reflecting off the snow-covered bamboo roof and finally outlining the graceful figure standing in the light.

The clear sound of the flute echoed in the air. The piece was not complicated; its simple melody was refreshing and elegant, like a mountain spring flowing. As it was softly sung, it made people unconsciously abandon their distracting thoughts, leaving only inner peace and tranquility.

When the piece ended, Bai Yujing praised her without reservation: "Your flute playing is like depicting the beauty of mountains and rivers. It is truly a blessing to hear your performance today."

Jiang Huaiyu smiled calmly, "It's just a short skit, you flatter me."